Buses – ‘councils should be in the driving seat’

With bus franchising due to start in Greater Manchester, the LGA and Urban Transport Group are seeking a greater role for the public sector

 
The report has been published just two days before Greater Manchester becomes the first city region outside London to run franchised bus services, 37 years after deregulation

 
The Local Government Association and the Urban Transport Group want new powers for English councils to decide the way local bus services are delivered to end a “spiral of decline”.

A new report from the LGA and the Urban Transport Group warns that the task of patching and mending gaps in the network is more challenging than ever for local authorities. It has been published just two days before Greater Manchester becomes the first city region outside London to run franchised bus services, 37 years after deregulation.

As the party conference season approaches, LGA and the Urban Transport Group are calling for a review of current legislation that would allow all cities, towns and rural areas in England to have the same rights to introduce bus franchising as those enjoyed by mayoral combined authorities.

 

 
This would include power over the fares that are charged and standards that should be met; the frequency of bus services provided and where and when they run; and the ability for buses to be part of joined-up transport networks.

The report, A Smoother Ride, recommends lifting the ban in the Bus Services Act 2017 that prevents councils from establishing their own bus companies, and calls for an urgent government review of Enhanced Partnerships.

If we really want to fulfil the ambitions of the National Bus Strategy – to truly transform bus services, it’s time to update the legislation

Cllr Darren Rodwell, transport spokesperson for the LGA said: “Councils should be in the driving seat to deliver good, affordable and reliable bus services in their areas, not private bus operators, but are restricted from taking greater control over them.”

Urban Transport Group director Jason Prince added: “If we really want to fulfil the ambitions of the National Bus Strategy – to truly transform bus services, it’s time to update the legislation.”

 
This article appears inside the latest issue of Passenger Transport.

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